About the programme

However, in spite of the unquestionable importance and dynamism of the sector, the technological and scientific response in terms of specialised post-graduate, university level programmes has been inadequate to meet the multiple and demanding challenges faced by the tourism sector, especially concerning the management of companies which operate in the sector and the planning and organisation of the tourist destinations.

The 2nd cycle programme in Tourism Management and Planning aims to construct an integrated educational offer which corresponds to the complexity and transversality of the sector, and at the same time a solid grounding in a field of specialisation chosen by the student. Thus, this programme will contribute to the study of more adequate solutions for the future of the sector, ensuring the training of professionals able to participate in the definition of the necessary and pressing transformation of a highly competitive and rapidly expanding sector which is in need of rigorous and professionally-oriented approaches.

Thus prospective careers for graduates of this programme include positions of responsibility in the planning and management of tourist destinations, attractions and services, both in public bodies and in private businesses. The competences acquired will enable more strategic approaches, based on a deep understanding of the tourism industry and the phenomena associated with it, and the application of more advanced techniques and tools to strategic analysis for decision-making.

Learning Outcomes

In articulation with the first and third cycles, this master’s programme is based on an interdisciplinary and integrated vision of the tourism sector. It aims to provide a deep and consolidated training which underpins the acquisition of the knowledge and expertise in the fields of planning and management which are necessary and essential to ensure the success and sustainability of any strategy of tourist development. This training should support a specialised grounding for students intending to follow a professional career in different public and private institutions in the tourism sector (including the leadership and coordination of advanced studies, and planning and management activities) as well as for those who intend to continue their academic studies.

The curricular organisation of the Tourism Management and Planning programme combines an advanced scientific training in the tourism system with the identified needs of the market, offering areas of specialisation oriented towards different areas of activity, namely: “Tourism and the Environment”, “Tourism and Culture” and “Economics and Management”.